Abstract
The interpretation of bone mineral densitometry results for a particular individual relies on valid reference data from a representative population sample. To establish local reference data, 411 Australian female volunteers had bone mineral densitometry performed at a single medical centre at the proximal femur and lumbar spine using a Hologic QDR 1000-W dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer. These data were compared with reference material from North American women compiled by Hologic. The Australian volunteers had, on average, 7% greater bone mineral density at the lumbar spine for the age range 25–55 years. Possible explanations for this include an actual population difference or the presence of a differential selection bias between the two samples.
References
Cummings SR, Kelsey JL, Nevitt MC, O'Dowd KJ. Epidemiology of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures. Epidemiol Rev 1985;7:178–208.
Pocock NA, Eisman JA, Mazess RB, Sambrook PN, Yeates MG, Freund J. Bone mineral density in Australia compared with the United States. J Bone Miner Res 1988;3:601–4.
Sackett D, Haynes R, Tugwell P. Clinical epidemiology: a basic science for clinical medicine. Boston: Little, Brown, 1985:146–8.
Kelly TL, Slovik PM, Schoenfeld DA, Neer RM. Quantitative digital radiography versus dual photon absorptiometry of the lumbar spine. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1988;67:839–44.
Duboeuf F, Braillon P, Chapuy MC, et al. Bone mineral density of the hip measured with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry in normal elderly women and in patients with hip fracture. Osteoporosis Int 1991;1:242–9.
Risk Factor Prevalence Study No. 2. Canberra National Foundation of Australia, 1983.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Flicker, L., Green, R., Kaymakci, B. et al. Do australian women have greater spinal bone density than North American women?. Osteoporosis Int 5, 63–65 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01623660
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01623660